The more relaxed she seemed, the more anxious I got. “That’s all? Aren’t you going to ask me anything else?”
“What’s there to ask?” She pushed her coffee away and held my gaze. “I’ve noticed the way you look at each other. Even if the divorce was real, I figured you’d get back together sooner or later. That’s not much different from a fake divorce.”
“Ha… your eyes are really sharp.”
“It’s the two of you… oh, no, it’s just your bad acting skills.”
Again with my acting skills? How dare they!
As I sipped my hot cocoa, I decided to tell her everything I knew about Delilah. “Emery, actually Emma and I had seen Hunter going shopping with Delilah. But we were afraid you might not take it too well, so we kept it from you. I’m sorry.”
Emery’s expression was calm as she glanced at me. “No wonder Emma has been avoiding me like the plague.”
“You know how bad Emma is at keeping secrets, so she had to…”
“Forget it,” Emery announced with a wave of her hand. “Tell her it’s all over now. She doesn’t have to keep coming up with excuses to avoid meeting me.”
“Do you really not blame us?” I asked warily. Even though I knew her well, I still needed to make sure.
Emery let out a deep sigh, put down her coffee, and looked at me with a calm and composed demeanor. “The two of you could have told me the truth earlier and saved yourself all this trouble. I had known about Hunter and Delilah for a while now.”
The fact that she had found out about it even before the ribbon-cutting ceremony should come as a surprise to no one.
After all, Emery had such acute senses that nothing her partner did could ever escape her. Besides, the harder one tried to fake being in love with another, the easier it was to give it away.
I pursed my lips, unsure of what to say.
Emery had a look of sorrow as she gazed out the window and into the distance. “I hate betrayals the most. Sadly, I’m the product of my father’s betrayal, and maybe that’s why I have to pay the price of my mother’s mistake.”
“That’s not your fault!” Emery’s words had made me emotional, and I felt like I was choking back tears.
She shook her head sadly as she continued, “It’s over now, and I’ve made concessions. Since Hunter has made his choice, I’ll respect it. There’s no need to end this on a bad note. I’ll just cherish whatever good had come out of this one true love of mine.”
“There’s still a long way to go in life. You just haven’t met the right person yet.”
“It’s not that easy,” Emery retorted. “Sienna, there are billions of men in the world. A man like Anthony is one in ten million. Not everyone is as lucky as you.”
After a brief pause, her expression turned even more serious. “You need two hands to clap in any relationship. Many women can’t wait to snatch Anthony from you. So my advice to you is don’t go down the same route as I had.”
If this were in the past, I would have said she was exaggerating. But after having gone through so much, I do believe in Emery’s foresight.
Even though one couldn’t have smoke without fire, no one could ever live their lives without having faced temptations. Knowing self-control and when to let go would prevent one from going astray. But that would only work for those who played by the rules.
I knew who Emery was hinting at, and it piqued my interest. “Emery, your company is still new and young. You’re going to need to improve on the management and planning. Will you be interested in going somewhere to learn more?”
“Where to?”
“To the company where my stakes lie. Where else?” I replied with a raised eyebrow. “Let’s go, Ms. Moore.”
Emery caught my hint and smirked. The plan was in motion.
Emery’s office was in the prime business district of K City, so it took less than ten minutes since we left the café to arrive at Featherstone Corporation.
It happened to be lunchtime, so most of the employees had left for lunch. When Emery and I walked in, the office area was mostly empty.
“How can that be? Even if Ms. Collins has the ability, she isn’t qualified!”
“That’s not necessarily true. Haven’t you heard the saying when there’s a will, there’s a way? She could still become the next Mrs. Featherstone. And when that happens, you’re going to have to start buttering up to her!”
The babble and gossip in the pantry rang out especially clearly in the empty office. I had deliberately quietened my footsteps as I tiptoed my way toward the pantry. When I got to the door, I slowly peeked in to see who was inside.
I counted a total of six people in the pantry. They were all sat on the sofa with their backs facing the door as they continued with their gossip.
“Maybe Mr. Featherstone might really fall for Ms. Collins. He has had so many other secretaries, but none stayed on for as long as Ms. Collins has. And I’ve heard from others that Ms. Collins packed daily lunches for Mr. Featherstone, rain or shine. You know what they say about a woman capturing a man’s heart through his stomach. I’m pretty sure she’s going to capture his heart soon!”
“I don’t think so. I’m sure Mr. Featherstone has had his fill of good food. How can he be so easily bought over by just a few lunches? You’re in the Planning Department, for goodness’ sake. You have to think more creatively. No wonder you haven’t had a promotion in such a long time… “
“Hey, we’re talking about Mr. Featherstone here. Why do you have to make it about me now… “
There was a lot of back and forth in the pantry, and I listened on in enthusiasm. Emery, on the other hand, was probably upset by their gossip as her face darkened.
If I let them carry on, I was afraid she might start the next world war.
I cleared my throat to get their attention and waited to see their reactions upon seeing us.
The pantry fell into silence as soon as they heard my cough. When the employees saw Emery and me, fear and panic immediately registered in their eyes.
A voice suddenly rang out from behind me. “Ms. Stanhope?”
I turned and came face to face with Stella looking at me in bewilderment. She had a lunchbox in one hand and a stack of documents in the other.
Anthony and I had signed the divorce agreement only a month ago, and she was already reminding me of it. She didn’t hesitate when she called me “Ms. Stanhope” instead of “Mrs. Featherstone.”
Emery was enraged as soon as she saw Stella. She was about to march up to her when I grabbed her hand and shot her a look, letting her know that I had the situation under control.
I turned to Stella and put on my best manners. “Ms. Collins, are you free to help with something?”
Stella was taken aback and seemed to ponder about it. “I’m sorry, Ms. Stanhope. But Mr. Featherstone needs these documents urgently. Can I get someone else to help you instead?”
Before I could reply, she had turned to the handful of employees in the office. “Who doesn’t have anything to work on now?”
The way she gave the order was as though she was the owner of this company.
Right after she spoke, the employees in the pantry poked their heads out stealthily, waiting for the drama between the president’s ex-wife and his flirtatious secretary to unfold.
“Are you deaf or something? Sienna is asking you to help, not anyone else.” Emery stood up for me.
Instantly, Stella’s brows knitted together at her words. Biting her lip, she seemed troubled as she bowed her head and said, “Mr. Featherstone hates lateness the most. Outsiders might be clueless, but Ms. Stanhope, I believe you know that well.”
Although I was a woman too, as I stared at her pitiful look, even I couldn’t help but frown and felt sorry for her.
Given the situation, it would look like I was the inconsiderate one if I forced her to work for me that day. Staying calm and collected, I kept the smile on my face as I stood rooted to the spot. I wanted to see if she had other tricks up her sleeves.
Stella’s voice gradually softened and trailed off. A few seconds later, a whimper was heard in the empty corridor. Sure enough, her shoulders moved up and down, and her chest heaved as if she was deeply aggrieved.
“Ms. Stanhope, it’s alright if you want to pick on me, but please don’t take the company’s businesses for granted. Let me send these files to Mr. Featherstone first, and I’ll help you afterward…”
Taking a closer look, I saw a few glistening tears trickle down her smooth, flawless face. It reminded me of how Juliet cried for Romeo.
Nevertheless, she was not Juliet, and I was not Romeo. Hence, my heart wouldn’t ache for her. In fact, I found her act ridiculous.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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